Formula One News — April 2002

Paolo Cantarella sent out a letter to the Formula 1 team bosses in Barcelona, underlining the organization's commitment to starting its own World Championship in 2008 if no agreement can be found.

Motorola is expected to announce shortly that it is to produce a Ferrari-branded mobile telephone.

While much attention is centered at the moment on the battle over which country will hold a Grand Prix in the Middle East, the plans for new races in Moscow and Shanghai continue to be developed.

A total of 58 jobs have gone at Jordan in recent days although a number of those departing are believed to have gone of their own accord rather than being laid off.

Sebastien Bourdais maintained his perfect qualifying record this season by claiming a third successive pole position for the Super Nova Racing team.

Up and down the Formula 1 paddock in Barcelona the talk on Friday was whether or not Formula 1 is facing a funding crisis - or whether the pleas of struggling teams are not indicative of the industry as a whole.

The Taiwanese computer company Acer has concluded a deal to be a corporate partner of British American Racing and an official supplier to the team.

Pedro de la Rosa says that Jaguar Racing needs two months more development before it can be properly judged this year.

The competition to be the first country to host a Grand Prix in the Middle East seems to be heating up with Turkey, Beirut, Dubai and Bahrain all squabbling to get a date on the Formula 1 calendar that may or may not exist next year.

Bernie Ecclestone's Formula 1 Magazine was once again the talking point in the paddock in Barcelona following the publication of what the magazine believes to be the 100 most powerful people in the sport.

It is being reported in the Belgian press that Jacques Villeneuve will be staying with British American Racing next year.

The presence in the Media Center in Barcelona of the FIA's Richard Woods raised a number of interesting questions.

Turkey has been making noises about bidding for a Grand Prix in recent months but Mumtaz Tahincioglu, the head of the Turkish Motorsports Association say that Turkey is now bidding for a round of the World Rally Championship.

Eddie Jordan won't be admitting for it for some months, but we hear from the industry that he is already putting out feelers to car companies hoping to find an engine deal for the future.

It is sometimes hard to take Formula 1 team bosses seriously when they complain about it being hard to find money.

Gustave Eiffel's connection with Formula 1 is not well-known.

As we have been suggesting in recent weeks the future of Jaguar Racing is not in any doubt - despite the widespread restructuring within the Ford Motor Company in recent months.

Giving out details of new management structures is all the rage at the moment in the midfield in Formula 1, and British American Racing has just announced the major players in the restructured team.

A few weeks ago Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone said that recession would not hurt Formula 1 as it would get rid of the weak teams and leave only the strong behind.

Jordan has terminated its relationship with technical director Egbahl Hamidy.

EM.TV, the troubled German media company which still holds a small shareholding in the Formula One group has just announced that it is selling on its rights to the Mike Tyson-Lennox Lewis boxing match.

The Sports Business 2002 Conference currently taking place in London heard today that Formula 1 is responding well to the forthcoming ban on worldwide tobacco sponsorship.

ITV Digital may not be saved but it is possible that a consortium led by the venture capital company Apax Partners and Stephen Grabiner, the man who founded ITV Digital in July 1999.

Eddie Jordan has announced major changes in the management of the team with four top men being shown the door and Jordan himself taking on a bigger role in the team.